Vacuum nozzle for cotton harvesters



Dec. 19, 1922.

J. T. SKILLINS. VAcuuMl NozzLE Fon F I LED MAY Co'rroN HARvEsTEns.

1.5- Tllynl ,0

.raiemieanee ie, iezga JOHN T. skriiLiNs-OE WEsTBRooK, MAINE AssIeNon To DANA COTTON HARVESTER `rCOMPANY, .a CORPORATION' OEMAI'NE.'

Vvacunar NozzLE'Foa COTTON HARVESTERS.

Application filed May 28,

T0 zZ/7 whom t may oon-ocra:

Be it known that I, JOHN T. SKrLLiNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vilestbrook, in the county oit Cumberland and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useiul Improvements in 1Vacuum Nozzles tor Cotton I-Iarvesters9 of which the following is a specification;

My invention relates to `vacuum nozzle for pneumatic cotton harvesters.

These nozzles are attached to the end :othe suction hose which latter are connected with the exhaust fan on the machine.A The nozzle to which the present invention relates consists essentiallyT of a cylindrical casing having therein a rotatable tubular picking nozzle mounted on ball bearings within the casing. v The picking tube is provided with propeller blades which cause its rapid revolution at the same time the suction draws the cotton onto vthe picking tube.- and thence through the suction hose. f

It is found by experience in the cotton field that. it is very diiiicult to keep lthe ball bearings free from dirt and lgrit and as a result thegballs are subjected to rapid wear. The cause of `the rapid wearing away of the ball bearings is the fact that there is a slight vacuum in and around the bearing caused by the rapid fiow of air through the picking tube and through the casingand this vacuum tends to Vdraw into theffbafll bearing any dirt which may leak in between the casing andthe picking tube. Thus it the ball bearing is ever so well shut in and protected the tine dirt andV gritwilltindits way in and cause lthe-rapidwear 'ofwthe parts, .It is impossible toprotect the'lball The object ofiny invention is to: con` struct a vacuum nozzle of such forrn that there will'befafslight vac-u'umfln and, around the bearing but so arranged that anyftor eign substances will be drawn outfrom and away, Yfrom the-bearing instead of being drawn into it and thus doing away with the necessity of a tight packing.

I accomplish this object as'shown by admitting to the upper or outer end of the 1920; serial No. 384,965'.

pickingtubeay lateral current of air which .passes adjacent tothe ball bearing in such a direction that the'latter issubjected to a slight vacuum and all dirt is `expelled and diverted fromhthebearings.' l i As ya result of 'this construction the nozzle maybe used in the dirtiest "place and with the dirtiest cottonfand the` bearingbe always clean and free from dirt. The life of the nozzle will thus be greatly extended and its practicability for actual work in the field assured. i i i I have illustrated my4 invention in the l accompanying drawing in which is shown a vacuum nozzle constructed in accordance with one embodiment of my invention;

In the drawing l p Fig. l is a longitudinal section drawn full size, y f

Fig. .2 is a'l section' the same'as a -v'portion of Fig. l but greatlyenlargeol, Q, Fig.' 3 is a planet the picking sleeveand, Fig.` 4 is an' elevation oithesame,y 'i

Referring to thefdrawing, 1 represei'its the body of the casing which'iscylindrical and enlarged gat the'upper end. The lower end'2 'is reduced so thatitifits inside the` suction hosetnot shown')"through` which a powerful draft of'air is drawn, the same passing through the nozzle.

'Ihe nozzle is here lrepresented torm'conveni'ence and Yreferred toas in an upright position, -but'it will beA understood that in use it 'is lia-ble to'takey any position. i

To the upper end of the "bodyl 'is connected by a screw `threaded joint, the casing sleeve 3 `whi`ch has an `outwartl extending flange Zlz'itits upper endf" Y K *To the top"of the'tlangeec'i'sy boltedV the flat cap 5 having a central opening with an inwardly inclined conical surface forming the outer opening to the nozzle.

@Within thefcasing" e rotatable picking-I tubelfy Inadef up of the lower member 6k andifthe upper member 7 connected together by the propeller blades 'ust described is the i 8 as 'shown and describedfin my application y inea Nov. 29; ieigsysenal' No. 264,534; 2'

:The air enters Ytheopenin'gs'f in thesleeve andfpassing down thi'ouiglli 'the iblafdes 8 causethe'pickingitubebi? to rotate? Inthe" t -jecting conical flange 1l with picking fingers l2 'disposed horizontally at the `diately below the flange 10. .si narrow space is left between the lower surface of the cap 5 and the upper surface ofthe flange 10. A space is also left between the outer edge of the flange and the inner surface of the casing sleeve 3.

A space is'also `left between the lower' surface of the flange 10 and the upper surface of the ball bearing 13-14.

As here shown an inward projection 1T extends from the inner surface of the sleeve 3 and forms the bearing for the cone 11h To exclude any dust. coming from below the bearing and from the external air passing to the blades I insert a ring 18 below the ball bearing and .fitting closely as here shown to the interior surface of the picking sleeve 8.

The inner yedge of the sleeve 18 fits the outer surface of the picking tube with a somewhat loose fit which will allow the `pickingtube to rot-ate freely.

The ball bearing 19 is constructed substantially inthe same way as the upper ball bearing at the lower end of the pickingA tube 6, the bearing being interposed between the picking tube' and casing. This bearing is protected from dust by a pair of rings 20 occupying a position betweenthe lower end of the tube and the bearing 19. f

The rings 20 act as guards or protectors against dust and dirt coming from an eddy which tends to form inthe `air just belowl and outside of the lower picking tube 9.

The protective feature of my device oper ates as follows 1- One current of air enters through openings in the sleeve 8 passing downward through the blades 8, enters the tube 6 and passing thence out of the nozzle and into the hose.

Another air current enters the upper end of the picking tube sleeve passing downward through the contracted conical opening formed by the conical flange 11 and thence ldownward to the picking tube.

A small Vauxiliary air current, leaving the main current at the mouth of the opening, passes in between kthe lower surface Yofthe cap 5 and .the upper surface of the flange 10, thence downward around the outer edge of the flange 10, inward through the space flange 11.

This air current which isA indicated by arrows in Fig. 2 passes over the opening between tlie opposing conical surfaces of the n cones 13 and 1st and tend to create a slight vacuum in the ball space and to divert any grit or` dirt which might otherwise ledge in the ball bearing carrying tliesanie into the interior of the nozzle orthe picking tube where it is harmless.

As a result of this construction. the ball bearing is always kept clean and bright, there is no tendency to fill up with dirt and. grit so that the balls and their raceway will run a verylong time without any perceptible wear', a very important consideration when the rotatable picking tube must run with the least possible friction in vorder to do its work. f f

l. In. a vacuum nozzle` for pneumatic'cotton picking machines, the combination of a casing, a rotatable' picking tube therein through which air and cotton are drawn, bearing means between the casing and the rotatable pickingtube and means providing an auxiliary currentof air conmumicatingv ywith said bearing means for withdrawing dust andr air from the same and producing' a slight `vacuumv therein.

2. In a vacuum nozzle for pneumatic cot ton picking machines, the combination of a casing, a rotatable picking tube therein through which air and cotton kare drawn, a ball bearing between the casing and the ro` tatable picking tube, openings being formed adjacent to said ball bearing and communicating with the interior thereof whereby a portion of the .incoming vair is drawn through said openings and acts to partially exhaust the interior of said ball bearing and remove foreign matter therefrom.` j

` 3. In a vacuum nozzle for pneumatic cot ton picking machines, the combination of a casing, arotatable picking tube therein, through which air and cotton are drawn, co acting ball races on said picking tube and said casing, balls running therein, a flange on said picking tube immediately below Said ball races .and making a vnearly Atight `joint between said picking tube and said casing, an air passage being formed adjacent to said ball races whereby the main air supply will act to partially exhausttlie space between said races. 1

' In testimony whereof `Ihave afhxed my signature.y f f l JOHN, T. siriLLiivs;I 

